Can You Hear Me Now?
by TheForeverGirl20
Summary: A dopey smile spreads across Richie's face. Eddie looks cute. But, when doesn't he? Eddie is alone and looking around, probably looking for the others. Richie gets up from the bench to make a bee line to the object of his affection- "Hiya Kiddo!" a cartoonish voice says from behind him. Richie turns around and pushes up his glasses to see a clown…


**I always thought it was odd that we as the audience never saw Richie's scene with Pennywise, like all the other Losers. So, I wrote this with the added scenes that are alluded to in the new trailer of chapter 2. Takes place during IT chapter 1 in between when Pennywise was terrorizing the other kids. **

In the little quite town of Derry, Maine nothing important ever happened. Where the most exciting thing to happen was a tour bus for KISS accidentally took a wrong turn into town. There were no cool sights to see, nothing to make the town standout. There's a large statue of Paul Bunyan in the park, but what small town North of the Appalachia doesn't.

Something Derry does have is an old dilapidated fence on a bridge. Locals call it the Kissing Bridge due to the fact that teens would carve theirs and a crush's names or initials into the wood. The bridge was covered from end to end with names from the past and present.

And presently, one Richard Tozier, Richie to his small group of friends, is standing at the side of road in the middle of the Kissing Bridge holding out a pocketknife.

He pokes the tip of the pocketknife into the flesh of the bridge and begins carving, making a messy 'R'. Next to that he carves a simple and small '+'.

Then stops.

Richie hands drop to his sides, pocketknife still in hand. He pushes up his glasses with a huff, examining his work.

'R+'

With a sudden surge of confidence, he lifts his pocketknife and hovers it over the wood but doesn't move.

"Do it, you pussy. Write the letter." Richie grunts under his breath.

His grip on the pocketknife tightens to the point of his knuckles turning white. Inching closer to the wood, hand shaking.

It would be so easier, just one long line with three smaller lines branching off of it.

But he chickens out.

Richie throws his pocketknife into the forest beyond the Kissing Bridge.

"Oh shit," Regret sets in "that was my only pocketknife."

He leans an arm against the bridge, he stares down at the 'R+', mocking him.

VVRROOM

A car engine revving up is echoed down the street, snapping Richie out of his pity party.

Peaking from the horizon Richie can see Henry Bowers' car barreling down the road.

"Shit!"

He tries hiding but its too late, they have already seen him. Richie runs to his bike instead and pedaling as fast as his legs can take him.

The car catches up to him, obviously, threating to run him down. Richie can her whoops and hollers behind him. He turns just in time to evade a flying beer bottle.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit!"

"What you doing out here lover boy?!" Bowers yells out the window.

The car catches up to Richie and slides up next to him. Fire blooms from the passenger side of the car nearly scorching the young boy.

"You settin' your fart breath on fire?" Richie jokes trying to keep face.

"Ram him Henry!" is heard from within the car.

The car skims to the side pushing Richie to one side of the road. His bike bounces upon the rocky road.

Up head Richie spies a path, big enough for a bike but not for a car.

Richie picks up speed as he makes a hard left down the path, he barely escapes before the car crashes into him.

Richie turns his head just for a moment to check if he's in the clear, and thank God he is, he's gained quite the distance from the Bowers Gang now.

"Crazy fucks." Richie continues biking through the forest until he reaches town.

He passes unremarkable landmarks as he petals on, until he reaches the park. When he's closer, Richie gets off his bike and walks before parking it in front against the Paul Bunyan statue. He sits on a nearby park bench and rubs his sweaty hands on his pants.

Bill said he wanted to meet up around two today, probably another big search party for his baby brother. Man, did he want a normal summer day, not spent in the swears of an already shitty town. Richie would never say it to Bill's face, but deep down he thinks that Georgie might be gone. Maybe not dead, hopefully not dead, but just gone.

But whatever gets him out of the house, right? Plus he's with his friends, and now they've got three more to the pack. There is safety in numbers, and boy did this gang of losers need it.

Ben seemed like a respectable fellow, but a biiig bookworm. Like what nerd carries around maps of a town, especially Derry. And he listens to New Kids On the Block?! Nerd. He fit in perfectly.

Mike, was the last to join, it doesn't feel like he gets enough attention when in the group and is kinda shy. But the boy is a big softy and he laughed at Richie's jokes so he was cool in Richie's book.

_Where is everyone? _

The guys said they'd meet here around two- well the guys plus Beverly.

Now its not Richie doesn't like Bev, she was a badass with an attitude to boot, plus he could bum cigarettes off her. Plus, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little attracted to her.

But he'd also be lying if he said she threw a wrench in their group dynamic, more so than Ben or Mike. And yes, it did have to do with her being a girl. It used to be just the boys, now it was the boys plus Bev.

Though sometimes Richie saw Bev like one of the guys, just a prettier guy. Well not as prettier as-

"Eds!"

Through the crowd of people in the park, Richie could see his very small and very asthmatic friend, Eddie.

A dopey smile spreads across Richie's face. Eddie looks cute. But, when doesn't he? Eddie is alone and looking around, probably looking for the others.

Richie gets up from the bench to make a bee line to the object of his affection-

"Hiya Kiddo!" a cartoonish voice says from behind him.

Richie turns around and pushes up his glasses to see a clown…

Its not like Richie was afraid of clowns, he just thought they were creepy, their big shoes, cakey makeup and how they smiled all the time. People called him a class clown, but he always found that as an insult to his comedic talent. He was a Bill Murray not Ronald McFucking Donald.

Clowns were shit, but this particular one was fucked up, bright orange hair, white face paint with red lines going down his face, and a big ass forehead.

"I'm Pennywise the clown!" the clown said in a cheerful manner.

"Aaaaand I'm out of here." Richie drew out dramatically

"Don't you want to play with me?" the clown drew its fingers down its face to indicate a frown.

"Go traumatize some babies, Bozo." Richie turns to walk away; he could still make Eddie out in the distance.

"Don't ignore me! You wouldn't like it if your friends ignored you?!" The clowns tone shifted but not enough to alarm Richie, but enough to annoy.

Richie sighed, "Just fuck off!"

Richie breaks out in a light jog to catch up to with Eddie, not looking back at that weird ass clown.

He escapes the clown and finally makes it to Eddie.

"You can calm down now, your prince has arrived!" Richie yells in a botched British accent as he does a little bow to Eddie.

Richie stays in his bowed position waiting for a trademark Eddie Kaspbrak scoff or even a scolding for being late.

But nothing.

Straightening up his back, Richie tries to save the joke, "What's wrong Princess, bee in your bonnet?"

Still nothing,

It wasn't hard to get a rise out of Eddie, it was Richie's favorite pastime. But looking at him now, Eddie didn't even blink, just kept looking around.

"Oh I get it, haha, you giving me the silent treatment?"

Nothing.

"I get it." He gives in, "I'll play along." Richie joins his small friend in his quest, "So where do you think the others are?"

Nothing,

"If we find Haystack or Billy Boy we could use their boners like a dowsing rod find Bev!" He puts his hand on his crouch to simulate a boner "BOING!"

Not even a flinch.

"Come on, Eddie these are the jokes!"

Eddie turns his back. Richie was actually impressed, never had Eddie last this long. Stubborn bastard.

But Richie still has a few tricks up his sleeve.

Richie scoffs, "I fucked your mom silent last night!"

Eddie still doesn't react.

_Damn, that usually gets him._

"I'll right, I'm bringing out the big guns, but don't say I didn't warn ya!"

Richie takes a deep breath, "Eddie Spaghetti you are a cutie patootie!" he belts in an overt sugary voice.

Eddie walks off and Richie follows him in a huff

"Eds. Eds!"

Eddie keeps walking.

"I must of really pissed you off." Richie actually struggles to keep up "Come on Eds look at me!"

Eddie stops in his tracks.

"Huhhg finally! Look Eds I'm sorry-"

"Bill!" Eddie says almost starstruck by the sight of their friend a few feet a head.

"Bill? Since when do you get all excited to see Bill?"

Eddie starts running to Bill and Richie can now see the others gathered around him.

Richie kicks a rock and follows, "Whatever."

Eddie is welcomed into the group, Mike slaps him on the back in a greeting. The gang's all here.

"Jesus 'bout time you guys showed up."

Richie's comment once again falls on deaf ears, and none of the losers turn head.

"Oh great Eds got you all in on the joke too."

Stan laughs at a joke someone else makes, that Richie didn't quite catch.

Wait.

Were they laughing _at _him?

"Come on guys this isn't funny."

The group of young teens begin to walk off, ever persistent Richie sets after them.

But even at their slow pace, Richie can't keep up.

"Guys?!"

They get farther and farther away.

"Eddie? Eds! EDS!"

Richie trips on uneven ground, his glasses flying off his head and into the dirt.

"Shit." Richie's voice quivers. He pats the ground for his glasses. It takes him a moment, but he finds them, thankfully not broken. When he puts his glasses back on, he can see the gang off in the distance leaving him in the dust.

"What the fuck? Why did they-"

"Ah poor Richie." An eerie yet familiar voice rings out.

Richie roles his body over. The fucking clown is back and looming over him, legs on either side of his body. He doesn't have the mental capacity to catch that the clown knew his name.

"No one wants to play with you! Boohoo!" The clown cries wiping away fake tears.

Richie crawls backwards, "What the fuck did you do?" He doesn't know how but he knows that this clown did something.

"Your friends don't like you," the clown slowly follows him, one big red foot at a time.

"But I'll be your friend Richie!"

Step.

"I'll laugh at all your jokes!"

Step.

"We can tell each other secrets!"

Step.

"I'm very good at keeping secrets!"

An odd spike of curiosities stops Richie from moving forward. "Wha-what?"

"I. Know. Your. Secret!"

No.

That was-

How?

All thoughts that came to Richie's head as the clown leans down with a sharp grin almost salivating on Richie.

Richie brings his arms up in attempt to protect himself he screams, his pubescent voice cracking.

He braced for the worst.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Richie opens his eyes at the sound of the young voice, snapping him out of his living nightmare and he stares up at a dream.

Eddie stared down at him at the perfect angle, Richie might add, the sun creating a hallo around Eddie's body.

"Eddie?" Richie said with an uncharacterized softness, that seemed to trip the other boy up if only for a second.

He looks around, he's laying flat on the ground by the bench he was sitting at before by Paul Bunyan. He hasn't moved.

"You can see me? You can hear me?!"

Eddie rolls his eyes. "Of course I can, half the town can with the way your screaming."

Richie looks around, a few people were looking at him, normal enough he didn't mind an audience. But Richie searched deeper, no clown.

"What are you even doing on the ground?"

Richie looked back up to Eddie, he could see the other boy's scrunch up his eyebrows with worry.

Richie could tell him, easily, but would Eddie even believe him?

_Yeah Eds I'm fine, just a creepy clown made me invisible and threatened outing me! Let's get ice cream!_

Still, big o' curious brown eyes searched for answers. Eddie would think he was joking, so Richie did what he did best, joke.

Richie jumps up from the ground spry and bright, like nothing happened. "I get a better angle looking up your petticoat, my dear Eds!" he said jovially

Eddie groans, "Jesus, you're a pervert."

God if only he knew the truth, then he'd really think Richie was a perv. He's heard Eddie repeat his mother's warnings about AIDS and the certain type of person who had the disease.

"Your mother doesn't seem to mind giving me a show!" Another joke.

Eddie groans even louder than before, God how Richie missed it.

Eddie begins to walk off, he turns around to address Richie. "Come on Bill wanted us all to meet up soon."

Eddie could see him, which means the others could see him too.

Richie took one last look around the park.

No clown. Thank God. What was it? A day dream- a nightmare-

"You coming Trashmouth?"

Richie follows Eddie "Keep your panties on, I'm coming." And doesn't look back.

Later that same day as the losers ride through town on their bikes

"Can only virgins see this clown?"

_Shit._


End file.
